The Overseas Koreans Foundation, a Foreign Ministry-affiliated organization, was found to have been supporting children of diplomats and expatriates with its scholarship programs designed for educating overseas Korean youths to contribute to the development of overseas Korean communities.

The government watchdog Board of Audit and Inspection said Thursday it requested a correction to the organization’s loose standards in selecting scholarship recipients.

“Taking account of the Overseas Koreans Foundation’s founding objectives, it should select students who can contribute to overseas Korean societies while staying there rather than those who will live here,” the auditor said.

Under the aims of the program, the scholarship fund has to be given to students who will return to the country of their residence after graduating university here. However, the organization allowed those who have completed elementary to high school education overseas to apply for the program.

The auditor pointed to an absence of selection standards to screen out applicants who have high potential of staying in Korea, including children of diplomats and expatriates and students who major in courses involving state examinations or licenses such as medical, nursing and teacher’s schools.

By Park Han-na (hnpark@heraldcorp.com)